Flamsteed was indeed glad to avail himself of this
opportunity. Thus he became acquainted with Dr. Barrow, and
especially with Newton, who was then Lucasian Professor of
Mathematics at Cambridge. It seems to have been in consequence of
this visit to London that Flamsteed entered himself as a member of
Jesus College, Cambridge. We have but little information as to his
University career, but at all events he took his degree of M.A. on
June 5th, 1674.
Up to this time it would seem that Flamsteed had been engaged, to a
certain extent, in the business carried on by his father. It is true
that he does not give any explicit details, yet there are frequent
references to journeys which he had to take on business matters. But
the time now approached when Flamsteed was to start on an independent
career, and it appears that he took his degree in Cambridge with the
object of entering into holy orders, so that he might settle in a
small living near Derby, which was in the gift of a friend of his
father, and would be at the disposal of the young astronomer. This
scheme was, however, not carried out, but Flamsteed does not tell us
why it failed, his only remark being, that "the good providence of
God that had designed me for another station ordered it otherwise.
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